Donald Trump says AI firms and big tech must "pay their own way" for power plants and grid upgrades

President Donald Trump, speaking Thursday at the Environmental Protection Agency, expanded his administration's Ratepayer Protection Pledge, requiring artificial intelligence firms and major technology companies to finance the power plants and grid upgrades needed for their data centers rather than shifting those expenses to residential customers. The pledge, first introduced in March, now has over 220 signatories—including utilities, tech giants like Amazon and Google, and state governments—covering roughly 80% of U.S. households. Trump argued that private corporations, not consumers, should bear the cost of new energy infrastructure as electricity demand from AI development surges; a recent analysis projected monthly utility bills could increase 15 to 40 percent by 2030 if those costs were passed on.